Numbers 16:30
But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse emphasizes God's power to perform an utterly unprecedented act, a "new creation," as the sign of His judgment. This isn't just a more severe punishment, but a unique demonstration meant to leave no doubt that these men had defied the LORD Himself.
Moses and Aaron are confronting Korah and his followers, who are challenging their God-given authority. Moses has proposed a divine test: the next day, both the rebels and Aaron will present incense before the Lord, and God will reveal whom He has chosen. This verse speaks to the specific outcome of that test, framing it as a supernatural act of God that will undeniably prove the rebels' defiance.
Rebellion against God's appointed leaders often escalates. But what happens when God intervenes in a way never seen before?
Moses challenges Korah and his followers with a radical proposition: if the LORD does something unprecedented, a 'new creation,' then their rebellion is against God himself. This isn't just a harsh punishment; it's a divine sign.
The ground opens up, and the rebels vanish. What does this dramatic judgment reveal about the spiritual reality of rebellion?
The immediate and total destruction of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, along with their households and possessions, is stark. The verse specifies they went down 'alive into Sheol.'
Understand the original words
šəʾôl · Hebrew Noun
The place of the dead in Hebrew thought, often referring to the underworld, the grave, or the realm of conscious existence for the departed, frequently associated with divine judgment.
nāʾaṣ · Hebrew Verb
To treat with contempt, reject, or show lack of reverence; to look down upon someone or something, specifically God's authority or holiness.
This event, a severe judgment against rebellion, took place during the Israelites' journey in the wilderness, highlighting the fragility of their God-given leadership and the intense need for order and divine sanction during a critical period of transition.
c. 1440 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from over 400 years of slavery in Egypt through Moses and Aaron.
c. 1440-1400 BC
Wilderness Wanderings Begin
Following the Exodus, the Israelites begin their 40-year journey through the Sinai wilderness towards the Promised Land.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Korah's Rebellion
Korah, along with 250 other leaders and tribes of Reuben, challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron, questioning their leadership and the priesthood.
c. 1400 BC
Divine Judgment and Divine Vindication
God intervenes dramatically, swallowing Korah and his followers into the earth, while fire consumes the 250 offering incense, vindicating Moses and Aaron's God-given authority.
This passage describes a similar divine judgment against rebellion and envy within Israel, where some were consumed by fire and others swallowed by the earth, mirroring the fate of Korah and his followers.
Isaiah 5:14This verse uses the imagery of Sheol 'enlarging its appetite' and opening its mouth wide, drawing a parallel to the earth opening its mouth in Numbers 16, both signifying profound and all-consuming judgment.
Luke 10:18Jesus speaks of Satan 'falling like lightning from heaven,' which, while a different context, shares the theme of a swift, powerful, and dramatic divine judgment against rebellion that instantly removes the offenders.
Jude 1:11This New Testament passage directly references the rebellion of Korah, linking it to a pattern of challenging God's appointed leaders and facing a destructive fate, reinforcing the significance of this event.
1 Corinthians 10:10Paul warns the Corinthians not to grumble or complain as some of the Israelites did, referencing the punishments they faced, including those swallowed by the earth, thus connecting this event as a cautionary tale.
gillNumbers 16:30: "But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD."
But if the Lord make a new thing,.... Or "create a creation", or "creature" (s), what never was before, or put those persons to a death that none ever in the world died of yet; what that is he means is next expressed: and the earth open her mouth and swallow th…
calvinNumbers 16:1-50: "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:"
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?
Congregatique sunt adversum Mosen et…
The verse emphasizes God's power to perform an utterly unprecedented act, a "new creation," as the sign of His judgment. This isn't just a more severe punishment, but a unique demonstration meant to leave no doubt that these men had defied the LORD Himself.
Moses and Aaron are confronting Korah and his followers, who are challenging their God-given authority. Moses has proposed a divine test: the next day, both the rebels and Aaron will present incense before the Lord, and God will reveal whom He has chosen. This verse speaks to the specific outcome of that test, framing it as a supernatural act of God that will undeniably prove the rebels' defiance.
Moses and Aaron are confronting Korah and his followers, who are challenging their God-given authority. Moses has proposed a divine test: the next day, both the rebels and Aaron will present incense before the Lord, and God will reveal whom He has chosen. This verse speaks to the specific outcome of that test, framing it as a supernatural act of God that will undeniably prove the rebels' defiance.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Numbers 16:30 is available in the Sola app.
Moses declares the rebels 'despised the LORD.' What does it truly mean to provoke God?
The ultimate accusation against Korah, Dathan, and Abiram is that they 'despised' or 'provoked' the LORD. This goes beyond mere disagreement; it's a deep-seated rejection of God's authority and ways.
c. 1400 BC
Plague and Atonement
The people murmur against Moses and Aaron for the deaths, leading to a plague that Aaron stops by making atonement with incense.
"But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD.”" — The verse emphasizes God's power to perform an utterly unprecedented act, a "new creation," as the sign of His judgment. This isn't just a more severe punishment, but a unique demonstration meant to…
